Matt Marton – USATODAY Sports
It was a longer wait than expected for New York Mets‘ pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard to make his MLB debut, but he did not disappoint. In his first big league start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, Syndergaard looked the part of a big-time prospect, and showed signs of being a future ace.
Syndergaard’s final line isn’t anything special, as he ultimately hit a wall against a Chicago lineup full of young, talented hitters, and he did take the loss after an inept performance by the Mets’ lineup, but rest assured that Syndergaard was in full control for five innings. In those five innings, Syndergaard showed flashes of pure brilliance and appeared to be every bit of the pitcher scouts and talent evaluators have made him out to be.
As expected, Syndergaard’s fastball was electric, as he regularly threw the ball in the mid to upper 90s. However, his secondary pitches were equally impressive. The curveball that manager Terry Collins once referred to as “the hook from hell” was most impressive, as Syndergaard threw it with great confidence. Perhaps most surprising about Syndergaard’s outing was how comfortable he was throwing his change up, which he did without hesitation, giving him three quality pitches that Syndergaard looked comfortable throwing in any count.
Syndergaard also showcased impressive poise and body language. He was visibly nervous early in the game, but it did not affect him on the mound. Syndergaard was also unaffected by the fact that his team was unable to produce any offense in support of him. Most importantly, Syndergaard kept his cool and was able to escape trouble when a mental error by Daniel Murphy extended an inning.
Among the many things that the Mets can take away from Syndergaard’s debut is the fact that he was well prepared to make his big league debut. Syndergaard’s apparent readiness means the Mets should have no concerns about him continuing to make starts while Dillon Gee is on the DL. In fact, if Syndergaard can put together two or three outings similar to his big league debut, the Mets may have a tough decision to make when Gee is ready to return.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.
